Why Your Body Needs Zinc & Top Zinc-Rich Foods

This metal plays important roles in functions from immune response, to wound healing, and more

There are many delicious foods you can eat to get your daily zinc. Evan Lorne/Shutterstock

Zinc is an unsung dietary hero. It’s so essential that your cells wouldn’t know what to do without it. It’s an important trace mineral found throughout your body, second only to iron in its prevalence in human cells and tissues. Zinc plays a part in critical processes such as wound healing, immune system response, and functions such as cellular growth and repair.

There’s even an established link between zinc levels and respiratory health, giving zinc added importance during cold and flu season and whenever your body is under stress.

Zinc: Why You Need It

Have you ever wondered why people take zinc lozenges at the first sign of a cold? Evidence suggests that supplementing with zinc within 24 hours of the onset of symptoms may help shorten the length of colds. Oral supplementation in the form of zinc lozenges, capsules, and syrup are preferable to intranasal zinc, which has been linked with the loss of sense of smell in some individuals.